A 1000 year-old wreck site providing archeology and art history with new information

The Tanjung Simpang shipwreck site, the oldest in Malaysian waters, was unusual in many ways. It was the only site the company discovered in shallow water and close to shore. The site was heavily looted by local fishermen. Despite this looting, a number of Sung dynasty ceramic wares and few hundred kilos of pottery shards were recovered together with bronze gongs. Some of these gongs were signed with Chinese characters, painted on the reverse

It has been known for a long time that the ancient Chinese potters made markings in the base of his pots to identify each individuals wares after its firing. These markings are referred to as "potters marks".

Few of the Tg. Simpang ceramic wares had "potters marks" painted in the base of the pots. These characters are however masterly executed, and question its signing by a lesser educated potter.

BRIEF DISCOVERY REPORT

Luckily, the bronze gongs remaining on the site showed identical painted characters as those seen on the pottery. Such identical markings should start a new debate about whom and when the artifacts were signed and for what purpose. The main point of contention seems to be if the pots were 'signed' before or after it firing and if it should continually be referred to as "potters marks".

One argument presented here, with the evidences from the Tanjung Simpang shipwreck, is that these markings were not "potters marks" but markings made by the Captain or an onboard merchants to identify their individual objects when reaching their destination.

INTRODUCTION:

The Department of Sabah Museum provided Nanhai Marine Archaeology Sdn. Bhd. with a search/inspection permit in March 2003. The main intent with applying for such permit was a desire to extend the chronology of shipwrecks already discovered, investigated or excavated by the company in West Malaysia. Another objective was to locate a Sung dynasty site that had provided antique shops in Sabah with illegally salvaged pottery.

If a shipwreck of archaeological importance was discovered, then it was also desirable to use such a site to continue training Malaysian nationals who had received basic archaeology training during the company's excavation and mapping of the Desaru (+/- 1830) shipwreck.

The terms of the permit allowed the company to investigate any historical site within a specified area and thereafter decide whether or not to commence full-scale archaeological excavation. This condition was inserted as the company would have a preference for excavating shipwrecks that were intact and of such nature that it would complement the knowledge earned from other sites already excavated. If this option were declined, then the site would be transferred to the Department of Sabah Museum for excavation and/or training.

THE WRECKSITE:

Directed to an area off Tanjung Simpang-mangayau, the northwestern point of Sabah, by a local fisherman (who prefers to remain anonymous) the site was discovered on the 15th of April 2003. It was located 400 meters from the shore and in twelve meters of water.

The surface of the site is sandy but close to the fringing reef edge. The only indication of a shipwreck was stacks of bronze gongs that could be discerned above the flat seabed. This sandy layer varied between two and three feet in depth and is likely to have accumulated after the ship sunk.

This location is directly exposed to the northeast monsoon winds that generate large waves, which increases in height as they meet shallower water. After sinking, the ship appears to have landed on coral rocks. Pounding on these rocks by every wave, the ship is likely to have broken up almost immediately. This theory seems supported by the number of artefacts found scattered between the rocks.

Assuming that the ship sailed directly from China, it may have been damaged on the reefs extending east and west from Pulao Kalampunian and then sunk before the shore at Tanjung Simpangmangayau.

THE LOOTING:

The looting of the site was extensive and large volumes of ceramics had been removed. It is likely that original stacks of ceramics were loaded level with the existent height of the bronze gongs. Now, only broken pottery and shards could be seen in the bottom of the crates, blown between the stacks of gongs.

When the initial inspection ended on the 16th of April due to the onset of spring tide, two intact storage jars was left partly buried as a marker for continued inspection after the spring tide. Returning on the 21st of April, these two jars were lying next to their original location, smashed to pieces.

The same evening a marker buoy was left on the site for ease of continued work. Returning early the following morning, a smaller fishing boat (No.3932 with Mr. Abdul Rahman on board) were found anchored at the site and its crew preparing to dive. Leaving the site in the evening of the 22nd of April after back-filling the test holes, two similar fishing boats (with hose-diving gear onboard) were seen traveling towards the site.

THE SHIP:

During the inspection, very little ships timber was noted. The few pieces found were broken in short length and dislocated. No direction of the ship could be confirmed from the direction of these pieces. Attempts to locate scars from perpendicular transverse bulkheads in one specific piece of hull timber were also not conclusive. A sample of wood was collected for identification purposes. This piece is most likely from a tempered climate timber, probably pine, fir or cedar, which suggest that the ship was built in China.

CERAMIC ARTEFACTS:

The disturbed location of artefacts, likely dislocated by looters and the ships damage by the reef, made it meaningless to record each artefacts precise location. Instead it was decided urgent and prudent to rescue as much as possible, preventing remaining objects from looting. It was obvious that such ceramic assemblage was valuable from an art historical view as it represented trade wares available at one precise time in history.

For that reason, a number of test holes were made throughout the site. Without any orientation, only a few of these artefacts could be assigned a preliminary location reference. From this it appears that most ceramic artefacts were located on the site's western perimeter.

Each type of ceramic was photographed and provided with a general description, such that every diver could register each piece recovered in a uniform manner. The attached General Description of Artefacts lists all these different types of ceramic and non-ceramic artefacts. A total of three hundred three ceramic artefacts were registered in this manner

All 'ceramic artefacts' are those that maintain more than fifty percent of its original shape; all other ceramics were considered 'shards'. Approximately two hundred and fifty kilo of shards were collected as reference objects. Due to its disturbed location, shards, did not receive individual registration numbers.

NON-CERAMIC ARTEFACTS:

The bronze gongs appear to be some of the earliest types imported into Southeast Asia. The diameter vary between 39 and 43 centimeters. The surface is slightly curved and without any center protrusion, commonly seen on later gongs. The sides are bent in almost ninety degrees to the surface allowing stacking. The weight of these gongs varied between three and four kilos. A total of sixty-one bronze gongs were recovered.

Other non-ceramics included round and oval shaped copper ingots that appeared to have been casted in simple sand moulds. Three sizes were found: 10-13 cm, 14-17 cm and 18-20 cm in diameter. Weights varied with size: 0.5 kg, 0.75 kg and 1 kilogram. Seventy-six copper discs were recovered.

DATING:

Based on the ceramic pieces alone it would appear that the ship was loaded with Chinese ceramics made during the Northern Sung dynasty, sometime between AD. 960 and 1127. Although some features and styles pieces appear earlier, other forms are often attributed to a later period. Before providing a tentative date for the site, more experts will be consulted. The combined result of such opinions will be published at a later date.

Pottery and gong characters

Sten Sjostrand

27 th April 2003

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THE ONLY PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE SURE TO BUY GENUINE ANTIQUES

Nanhai Marine Archaeology Sdn. Bhd. was incorporated on the recommendation of the Malaysian authorities. This was done in order to formalize and to expand on the company’s researcher’s extensive knowledge of Asia’s ceramic developments and maritime trade.

The company’s researchers have been engaged in the search for historical shipwrecks for more than two decades and another decade researching maritime trade. Most of this work is concentrated to the South China Sea, a virtual highway for ancient shipping linking China to India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia in an extensive maritime trade system. This ancient trade started sometime around the 4th century and lasted well into the 19th century.

Following a successful shipwreck discovery, the company obtain a government permit to excavate the wreckage, and then carry out detailed marine archaeological procedures in recovering the artifacts, mapping the ship's remains and securing other data for future research. After each concluded project and following conservation of recovered artifacts, we search for and pinpoint ruined kiln sites and compare its wasters with the recovered ceramics until we are satisfied we located the place in which the shipwreck pottery was made centuries earlier.

Our arrangement with the Malaysian authorities is such that we finance all operations and train young Malaysian nationals (on our initiative) in maritime archaeology and related research. After giving all unique and single artifacts and thirty percent of all recovered items to the National Museum (and assisting with exhibitions of artifacts from each project) we are allowed to sell our portion of the recovery to finance future projects. The findings from ongoing research and the compilation of reports, books and catalogues are available on these pages as well as on a separate Internet site: http://www.maritimeasia.ws

Due to the unquestionable authenticity and precisely dated shipwreck pottery, many International Museums now display our shipwreck pieces as reference material.

The artifacts sold on this website are therefore legally and properly excavated and can be supplied with an export permit from the Department of Museum in Malaysia should this be required. This unique working arrangement makes us one of the few Internet sellers that sell from own excavation and deliver a meaningful Certificate of Authenticity with every artifact issued with a serial number.

So, if you are interested to purchase some of our Antique porcelain, old time pottery or other shipwreck artifacts from the Song dynasty, Ming pottery or Chinese blue and white porcelain or the famous Yixing teapots, you can rest assured that every piece is excavated through proper archaeology by our own staff. We do not sell anything that is not excavated by ourselves or properly recorded and researched before offered for sale so every piece comes with the “Best possible provenance”

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO EMAIL OUR PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER; Sten Sjostrand SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR POSSIBLE PURCHASE